Winter Gritting

Tattenhall & District Parish Council requested that Cheshire West & Chester Council review their gritting routes to include Rocky Lane, Frog Lane and Tattenhall Road, please see below response: There is a lot of information on the Winter Service on the Councils website, including what roads are included on the presalting routes – at the following link: Winter Gritting

We receive requests for adding roads to the presalting route network and all requests are tested against the approved policy. The criteria for the presalting network is included on the above link and is essentially: Priority Priority one roads are treated as high priority, we aim to treat them within the first two hours, these include: · ‘A’ Class carriageways, such as main roads. · Designated routes to emergency hospitals Priority two roads are treated after, we aim to complete treating them, within four hours. These include: · ‘B’ roads · Major roads carrying four service buses or more per hour between 6am and 10am · Roads serving emergency services · Public transport centres · Secondary schools and colleges · Roads with a slope over 10% and carrying more than 1,000 vehicles per day · Main access roads to rural communities and villages Minor roads leading to houses or farms are not gritted unless we have agreed to because of special circumstances. Other roads are not gritted when frost or icy conditions are forecast but are after they become icy when all the priority one and two roads have been treated. This is only done when the this is likely to last for 24 hours or more. Current Presalting Routes Tattenhall is gritted as part of route 6 that generally covers the south west of the borough and sections of the A41, A534, A41 and A51. The route takes the gritter off the A534 through Burwardsley and into Tattenhall where it grits the High Street to the junction of Rocky Lane before turning and then heading out of the village via Chester Road. This route covers more of the populated roads from the village, past the primary school, the doctors and through Gatesheath then onto the A41 and is in effect the main access route to/through the village, although I do appreciate your comments regarding the new retirement village as well as a number of developments in respect of Frog Lane, and access for school buses travelling to Bishop Herber in respect of Rocky Lane. The presalting routes look at the overall network and how best to treat the route while maximising the efficiency of the route. In the case of Tattenhall (Chester Road), it also treats the road through Gatesheath and gets the gritter back onto the A road Network Rocky Lane and Frog Lane I do understand that while people may prefer to use Rocky or Frog Lane there is an alternative gritted route available from the village, along Chester Road. With regards to Bus services, I understand that the no. 41 and 41A service enters Tattenhall via Frog Lane at the same 2 hr frequency as further south on the route through Tilston. The service then leaves Tattenhall via Tattenhall Road/Red Lane to the north towards Hargrave. Frog Lane does not meet the criteria for presalting routes mentioned above in respect of bus services, mainly Major roads carrying four service buses or more per hour between 6am and 10am. It is also acknowledged that Rocky Lane is a relatively steep gradient but it does not meet the criteria for presalting routes above in respect of steep gradients, mainly Roads with a slope over 10% and carrying more than 1,000 vehicles per day. However, I can confirm that Rocky and Frog Lane are treated on our secondary routes so when there is a prolonged cold spell or lying snow and, we are satisfied that our primary network is clear, the secondary routes are then treated. Tattenhall Road Tattenhall Road/Red Lane does not meet the criteria for the presalting routes referred to above. I do appreciate that this reply is not what you would prefer, but I am sure you will appreciate there are many villages in the borough who would like to be on a presalting route but we have a finite capacity and must concentrate our efforts on the primary network.